1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a collapsible pushchair for infants otherwise known as a baby buggy or stroller and more particularly to a pushchair which can be collapsed to a size which is extremely compact and acceptable as carry-on luggage on airplanes.
Collapsible pushchairs are well known. Generally these have a large number of tubular frame members which are hingedly connected together in such a way that the pushchair or stroller can be readily collapsed into a more compact configuration suitable for storage when not in use.
A major problem with known pushchairs is that they can be difficult to maneuver up or down stairs, escalators, street curbs or on and off buses or trains.
Another problem with fully collapsible pushchairs is that they are generally made of lightweight tubular material and they do not provide the mother with anywhere to store her shopping. As a result, she has little choice but to hang her shopping bags on the back of the pushchair, (generally on the handles), but this can seriously destabilize it and even result in it tipping over which is extremely dangerous and therefore unacceptable. They can also be quite cumbersome when collapsed and this is a particular problem when they are to be taken on to an airplanes because very often they exceed the permitted dimensions for xe2x80x9ccarry-onxe2x80x9d luggage and therefore have to be stowed in the hold of the aircraft. This is generally inconvenient for the mother as she wants to have the pushchair close to her when she disembarks from the plane and therefore wants to be able to store it in the overhead lockers of the aircraft.
2. Description of the Related Art
FR-A-2306859 discloses a collapsible pushchair comprising a chassis having mounted thereon a pair of primary wheels, a handle for pushing or pulling the pushchair along, and a pair of secondary wheels attached to the chassis by means operable to allow them to be unfolded from a stowed position in the chassis adjacent the primary wheels to an operating position in which they are spaced rearwardly therefrom. Because this pushchair has a rigid one-piece seat fixedly mounted on the chassis, it cannot be collapsed into a compact size.
It is therefore among the objects of the present invention to provide an improved collapsible pushchair which overcomes or substantially reduces some or all of the aforementioned disadvantages and is very easy to collapse and erect.
The invention therefore provides a collapsible pushchair which is characterize in that it includes a foldable seat suspended between a collapsible seat hanger and the chassis, the secondary wheels being folded way in their stowed position in the chassis in such a way that the pushchair can still be pushed or pulled on its primary wheels when a baby or infant is in position on the seat.
The chassis may be molded from any suitable rigid plastics material such as mineral filled polypropylene. In the preferred embodiment, the chassis is molded in one-piece.
Suitably, the primary wheels are larger than the secondary wheels. In the preferred embodiment, the secondary wheels are rotatably mounted on a collapsible platform hingedly attached to the chassis. In this embodiment, the platform is formed in two parts which are hingedly connected together to pivot about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the primary and secondary wheels.
Suitably a stay or leg extends between each side of the chassis and the rear of the platform remote therefrom, each stay being pivotally connected to both the chassis and the platform. Preferably each stay is configured to allow the secondary wheels to be stored in the chassis in such a way that they do not interfere with a baby when seated on the seat and thus allow the pushchair to be pushed or pulled on its primary wheels only while the secondary wheels are folded away. The stays may include a lower portion attachable to the axis of rotation of the secondary wheels which is off-set with respect to an upper portion which is attachable to the chassis at a location generally coplanar with the primary wheels.
The seat is preferably of the hammock type and made from a fabric material such as vinyl backed cotton or polyester.
The collapsible seat hanger is preferably pivotally attached to the chassis so as to be foldable relative thereto. The folding seat hanger can be U-shaped and is preferably attached to the upper region of the chassis. The seat hanger folds onto the chassis in its stored position. Alternatively, it can be formed as a rigid seat back or a pair of arms pivotally attached to the chassis to which the hammock type seat is attached.
The handle can be retractably mounted directly in the chassis or in the seat hanger pivotally attached thereto.
The chassis can include a footrest and each side member of the chassis in the region of the footrest can be shaped to provide a nose portion which is located forwardly of the axis of rotation of the primary wheels and adapted to contact the ground to allow the pushchair to be freestanding in an upright position when the top of the chassis is positioned in front of the axis of rotation of the primary wheels.
The seat can also include means to allow its angle of inclination to be adjusted.
Preferably the secondary wheels are retained in their stored position in the chassis by means of a releasable latch mechanism. Preferably the means which connect the secondary wheels to the chassis operate so that said wheels automatically unfold from the chassis under the action of gravity when the releasable latch mechanism retaining them in the chassis in their stowed position is released.
The pushchair can also include a safety device with means operable to allow it to automatically unfold into an erected safety position in which is located beneath the seat to protect an infant seated thereon from an impact should the pushchair be dropped by the user.
The chassis is preferably dimensioned so that when the pushchair is fully collapsed, it will be classed as xe2x80x9ccarry-onxe2x80x9d luggage, the handle, seat and secondary wheels all folding or retracting into the chassis so as not to significantly protrude therefrom.